Folding buggy-top.



R. KOLBE.

FOLDING BUGGY TOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1908.

902,887. Patented Novd3,1908.

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r": NORRIS psrsns co, WASHINGTON, o.

ROBERT KOLBE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLDING BUG-GY-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed April 25, 1908. Serial No. 429,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Ronnnr Konna, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Bugg Tops, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a folding buggy top, my object. being to equip a bugg 1 top with a series of folding arms or stays, so arranged as that the entire top will readily fold and unfold with little effort, and by the manipulation of but one pair of arms or stays.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a folding buggy top of my improved construction, the same being opened for use; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the top when in a folded position; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a pair of toothed segments which are carried by the ends of a pair of the folding arms or stays.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings: 1 designates the seat portlon of the buggy or carriage, to which is hinged or pivoted in the usual manner the lower ends of the center bow or frame 2 of the folding top, and pivotally connected to the lower ends of said bow or frame are the lower ends of the front and rear bows or frames 3, and arranged on the upper portions of said bows or frames 2 and 3 is the usual flexible cover 4. Secured to the rear bow or frame 3 and to the rear portion of the seat of the buggy or carriage is the rear curtain 5.

Rigidly fixed to the outer face of the center bow or frame 2 is a T-plate 6, in the ends of the horizontal portion of which are seated pins 7, and journaled thereon are toothed segments 8, which mesh with one another, and formed integral with or fixed to said segments are the ends of folding arms 9, the outer ends of which are hinged to the inner ends of arms 10, the outer ends of which are pivotally connected to the front and rear frames or bows 3.

J ournaled on the rear one of the pins 7 immediately against the outer face of the corresponding toothed segment 8 is a segmental plate 11, in which is formed a concentric slot '12, and seated in the adjacent segment 8 is a pin 13, which extends through said slot 12.

Formed on or fixed to the lower end of the plate 11 is the upper end of an arm or brace 14, the lower end of which is hinged to the upper end of an arm or brace 15, the lower end of the latter being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the seat 1 of the buggy, or carriage. The pin 13 is so positioned in the toothed segment 8 as that when the top is in an open position said pin occupies the forward end of the slot 12. The hinges between the arms 9 and 10 are so formed as that the meeting ends of said arms swing upward when moving into a folded position, and the hinge between the arms 14 and 15 is so formed as to break or move rearward when the top is folded.

When a buggy top of my improved construction is unfolded or opened for use, the various parts assume the positions seen in Fig. 1, with the upper portions of the bows or frames 3 swung to their limits of movement away from the center bow or frame 2, with the arms 9 and 10 in alinement with one another, and with the arms 14 and 15 in alinement with one another, and forming a brace between the central portion of the top of the rear portion of the vehicle seat.

To fold the buggy top, the arm 15 is engaged and the upper end thereof is moved rearward, which action breaks the hinge joint between the arms 14 and 15, thus moving the lower end of the arm 14 rearward, and as this movement continues the entire top will swing rearward and downward into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or until the plate 11 is moved past the adjacent segment 8 to such a degree as that the pin 13 occupies the rear end of the slot 12. The further folding movement imparted to the arms 14: and 15 will cause the plate 11 to bear against the pin 13, which action causes the toothed segments 8 to move together, and as a result the hinged joints between the arms 9 and 10 break or move upward at the same time, and as a result the bows or frames 3 move toward the center bow or frame 2, and thus the entire frame and top is folded into a comparatively small space to the rear of the vehicle seat (see Fig. 2).

To elevate and open the top, the person seated in the vehicle manually engages the front bow or frame 3 and swings the same upward and forward into the position shown in Fig. 1, during which movement a reversal of the actions just described takes place, and the various hinged arms are swung into the positions seen in Fig. 1 to hold the top open.

A buggy top of my improved construction is simple and inexpensive, readily folds and unfolds by the manipulation of a single pair of folding arms, and the bows or frames of the top fold uniformly and are moved into either an open or closed position with very little effort.

I claim:

1. The herein described folding buggy top, comprising the usual folding stays, a flexible cover arranged on said stays, hinged arms connecting the outer pair of stays with the center stay, toothed segments arranged on the adjacent ends of the central pair of hinged arms, hinged arms connectmg the center frame with the vehicle seat, and a pin and slot connection between one of the toothed segments and the upper end of the upper one of the last lnentioned pair of hinged arms.

2. The herein described folding buggy top, comprising the usual folding frames, a cover arranged on said folding frames, :1 pair of folding arms connecting the outer folding frames with the center frame, toothed segments formed integral with the adjacent ends of the inner pair of folding arms, a pair of folding braces arranged between the center folding frame and the rear portion of the vehicle seat, a segmental plate carried by the upper one of the last mentioned air of folding braces, there being a slot ormed in said segmental plate, and a pin seated in the adjacent toothed seg ment and engaging in said slot.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT KOLBE.

Witnesses M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE. 

